https://www.wsj.com/articles/for-ballets-foremost-metoo-accuser-a-second-act-11550848439
Alexandra Waterbury, a former student at the School of American Ballet in New York City, once believed that she would turn pro and continue her dance career with the Washington Ballet after graduating. However, she is currently enrolled in Columbia University on a completely different path of life. Her world took this major turn after filing a lawsuit in September against New York City Ballet and her ex-boyfriend Chase Finlay, a former principle dancer with the company. By doing this Waterbury became the only dancer to speak up about #MeToo, which has since become a major topic in the ballet world. The lawsuit alleged that NYCB had a "fraternity-like atmosphere" and that all male employees violated the rights of the women working there and also that Finlay had been sending recordings and pictures of the two engaging in sexual activities to other company members without her knowledge.
Before reading this article, I knew that sexual abuse and misconduct is unfortunately a very prominent issue in the dance world, especially in ballet. I think that Waterbury is very brave to be one of the first women to speak up about this issue and do something about it. It has brought a lot of awareness to this topic and shed some light on the downfall of male dancers and instructors as well. As Waterman pointed out, ballet is a situation where the instructor has some power over a kid, who is desparate to reach some goal. This can create a dangerous environment for the student.
No comments:
Post a Comment